Ministry of Shipping

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Md. Razib Ahsan
Role: State Minister
Annual budget: —
Staff: —
Established: 1972
Legal basis: Bangladesh Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1983 (Ordinance No. XXVI of 1983); Allocation of Business Rules (Government of Bangladesh); Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 10 of 1972)

Navigating three concurrent crises: (1) the contested DP World NCT lease at Chattogram Port (strike Tk 3,000 crore loss in January 2026, now replaced by landlord model with MGH Group), (2) Teknaf Land Port partial reopening under Arakan Army security uncertainty, and (3) Mongla Port record container growth (21,651 TEUs in July 2025-January 2026, up 79% YoY) requiring sustained dredging investment. Domestic priority is inland vessel digital registration and ghat safety following the Sadarghat collision.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Md. Razib Ahsan (BNP, Barishal-4) sworn in as State Minister for Shipping and Bridges Division under Tarique Rahman's BNP cabinet; also holds Railways portfolio under the same minister (Sheikh Rabiul Alam). ↗↗↗
2026-02-22 other Sadarghat launch collision on Buriganga River kills two; State Minister Razib Ahsan orders probe, cancels route permits of the two vessels involved, and directs committees to report within three working days. ↗↗↗
2026-03-15 policy State Minister Razib Ahsan announces all inland vessels will be brought under a mandatory digital registration system; initiative aimed at ensuring safe, disciplined, and modern waterway transport. ↗↗
2026-03-18 statement State Minister notes launch fares being charged below regulated rates during Eid-ul-Fitr travel season; government monitoring compliance with fare structures on river routes. ↗
2026-03-20 regulation State Minister Razib Ahsan calls for a complete ban on passengers boarding launches directly from small boats at ghats, citing accident risk at Sadarghat and other terminals. ↗
2026-04-06 policy State Minister Razib Ahsan announces resumption of Teknaf Land Port operations after over a year of suspension due to Myanmar (Arakan Army) conflict on the Naf River; announcement made during his first visit to the port since appointment. ↗↗↗
2026-04-23 statement Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam states national interest will get priority at Chattogram Port in any appointment of a foreign operator for NCT goods handling; reaffirms government will not hand over the port to a foreign entity outright. ↗↗
2026-05-01 other First wood-laden trawler from Myanmar docks at Teknaf Land Port, marking actual resumption of border trade after more than a year of halt; traders remain cautious over security and $9 million in funds stuck with Myanmar counterparts. ↗↗
2026-05-07 reform Ministry finalises draft 'Private Jetty and Terminal Construction, Operation and Management Policy-2026' enabling private sector to build and operate jetties/terminals at seaports under a landlord port model; application fee set at Tk 20 lakh with Tk 1 crore security deposit. ↗
2026-05-09 procurement Chattogram Port Authority signs agreement with MGH Group for the first ever private terminal at Chattogram Port, operationalising the landlord port model under the new private jetty policy framework. ↗
2026-05-12 policy State Minister Razib Ahsan urges stakeholders of the Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway PPP project to implement the work with full transparency and zero dispute; underscores government intolerance for procurement irregularities. ↗↗
2026-05-16 other State Minister Razib Ahsan (alongside two other state ministers) visits Karnaphuli Dry Dock Limited (KDDL); inspection signals government attention to the country's only dedicated commercial ship repair and maintenance facility. ↗

Provenance & notes

Ministry of Shipping oversees both the shipping sector and the Bridges Division (সেতু বিভাগ) under the same state ministerial assignment. State Minister Md. Razib Ahsan (BNP) won Barishal-4 (Hijla-Mehendiganj) with 128,322 votes in the 13th national parliamentary election (February 2026); he is central general secretary of Swechchhasebak Dal. The full minister for the shipping portfolio is Sheikh Rabiul Alam (also holds Road Transport and Railways). The dominant crisis of the 90-day window was the January 2026 Chattogram Port NCT strike over the DP World lease (6 days, Tk 3,000 crore economic loss, 11,000+ export containers stranded, 115 ships queued); the government resolved it by pivoting to a landlord model and rejecting outright foreign operator handover. Teknaf Land Port: import halt began April 2025 after Arakan Army took control of Naf River; first cargo (timber) arrived May 1, 2026, but $9 million trader funds remain stuck in Myanmar. Mongla Port recorded its best-ever first-half container performance (FY2025-26). staff_count and disaggregated BDT budget figure for the Ministry of Shipping for FY2025-26 not available from primary sources consulted.

Ministry of Shipping

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